Interrogation of the Heart
by jiggyjogs2
Summary: They both know she loves him, so why can't she say it? This is a collection of short stories in which Beckett finally tells Castle how she feels. Each chapter is its own story.
1. Chapter 1

She was his one and done. He had known that to be a definitive statement the day she was shot by the sniper at Montgomery's funeral. There were feelings before that of course, but on that day, Castle realized he wouldn't be able to live without her in his world. She was his world. She was the morning to his night. She was the sun that desperately pierced the clouds on a depressingly dismal day, and he was the moon that had no light of its own, but could only reflect the sun's brilliance, warmth, and beauty. Before he met her, he was shallow, and not exactly self-centered, but he didn't help many people other than his family. At least, that's how he saw himself.  
He hoped Kate never saw him that way. He hoped she only saw the man he was now, the one that loved her deeper than all the seas put together. Obviously she liked him and cared for him, but she still hadn't said those three little words that can turn perfect into perfection. Castle kept telling himself that she didn't need to verbally declare her love because all of the physical signs were there. Not just the physical physical, though that was mind-blowing, but the little things she did to let him know she cared; giving him a drawer at her apartment, simply being there for him when Alexis was taken, and the way he would find her looking at him as if he was not the reflection of her brilliance, but the source.  
He watched Kate's eyes as they followed Gene Kelly who, at that moment, was waterlogged and dancing in the street, grinning like a man in love. They were lying together on the couch in his loft, him propped up on his right elbow behind her with his left arm draped around her stomach. His fingers underneath her shirt lightly caressed the skin around her belly button. The mood had been light all day, no cases interrupting their thoughts, nobody barging in on them. It was just a quiet night of watching classic films.  
"Castle?" Her voice shook him from his thoughts.  
"Hmm?"  
"Stop looking at me and watch the movie."  
He groaned. "Do I have to? I'd much rather watch you watch it. Besides, I've seen Singin' in the Rain about 300 times. And then some."  
She shifted so they were facing each other on the oversize couch, her back to the screen. "Rick Castle, you are the strangest, most wonderful man I know. And to top it off, you have the best taste in movies." She smiled and lightly touched her lips to his. "That is why I l-" Kate froze, wide-eyed.  
Castle held his breath, and when it didn't seem like she was going to continue, sighed and pulled her closer to him. "Kate, it's alright." He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head. He knew she had to say it when she was completely ready. "You don't have to say it."  
"Rick, I- I- Damn it! Why is this so hard?"  
"It's okay. Really." He leaned in to kiss her when she suddenly stood and started pacing back and forth in front of him.  
"No, it isn't! In the interrogation room I can get anyone to crack. I can get people to share their deepest, darkest secrets. But now? I can't even get myself to say three words." Kate stopped pacing and looked Rick square in the eyes. "Castle, what's wrong with me?" She looked so lost, so wounded. All Castle wanted to do was make all the agony dissolve into nothingness. He stood and reached for her. She let him take her in his arms and softly rub his hands over her back and stroke her hair.  
"Kate, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you." He kissed the top of her head as she settled into the crook between his neck and shoulder. "If you feel the same way about me as I do about you, I completely understand your loss for words. I'm a writer, and I still can't find the right words to accurately describe how much a part of me you are. How much I love you."  
"Oh, Rick, I…"  
Castle chuckled as she trailed off once more. "You know, this is actually kind of funny."  
Kate pushed him away and hit his shoulder. "Maybe for you."  
"Ow, hey! I was just kidding. Maybe we should interrogate you. Get you to share your deepest, darkest," he brought her close once more and leaned in to whisper her ear, "dirtiest secrets." He kissed her just below her ear and started making his way further down her neck when she suddenly pulled away again. Apparently, he was not on his game that night. Kate was staring at him with an insightful look. "Now what did I do?"  
"That's it, Castle! You have to interrogate me."  
He wasn't sure he heard her correctly. "Kate, that was just a joke. I don't want to force you to say anything, especially not this."  
"No, Rick, it's what I want. You wouldn't be forcing me to say anything I didn't want to. I need you to do this for me."  
"I don't even know what to do, where to begin!"  
"Just start asking me questions, and when the time comes…" she shrugged her shoulders, "Ask me the right one."  
Castle closed his eyes, shook his head, and giving in, asked, "Where were you on the night of May 7th, 2012 at 10:00 PM?"  
She rolled her eyes at the typical interrogation line. "Rick, I'm being serious," she chided.  
"So am I." Kate looked confused for a moment before her features softened. "Do you need me to repeat the date?"  
"No," she whispered, "I remember that night perfectly."  
"What happened that night?" Castle asked, imitating a detective.  
She looked him in the eye and held her gaze. "You remember exactly what happened that night."  
"Of course I do. Always." He desperately wanted to close the distance between them and repeat what they did on that fateful night, but he had to continue with the interrogation, simply because she had asked him to do this. "However, Ms. Beckett, I need your official statement of the events that occurred that night. In detail, please." He wiggled his eyebrows and Kate couldn't stop the giggle that seemed to burst straight from her heart.  
"Well, Mr. Castle, earlier that day, I had a near death experience." Castle shuddered. He never liked to think of the times Beckett had nearly been killed. "In the short time I was clinging onto the ledge of a roof," she continued, "I only had one person on my mind: you. I wasn't thinking of Maddox, who had gotten away, I wasn't thinking of my dad. I wasn't even thinking of my mom. Only you."  
Castle swallowed the lump in his throat. He just wanted this interrogation over with so he could comfort the woman he loved. "And then what happened."  
"After Ryan pulled me back up to the roof, I quit my job because nothing mattered to me anymore except being with you. I just wanted you. Then, after some introspection on a swing, I came here, hoping you still wanted me after our regrettable fight." She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck as he locked his around her waist, bringing them as close as they could get. "And, God, did you want me Castle," she whispered in his ear and flicked his earlobe with her tongue. "And you had me. Three times. And now you have me forever."  
To hell with this interrogation, thought Castle. With her proximity, heat, and her voice that was becoming breathless, he was starting to get excited. "Kate," her name was a prayer on his lips, "I love you so much."  
"Oh, Rick… I love you too." She said it with such ease that he didn't believe she had actually said the blessed words.  
He pulled back slightly, only to find her smiling at him with joy and sincerity shining in her eyes, and he couldn't help but grin like Gene Kelly, like a man in the deepest, most absolute form of love.  
"Rick Castle, I love you more than anything, and I can finally tell you."


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN: Hi everyone! I wasn't going to write anymore chapters, but here I am on chapter two. This will be a collection of short stories in which Beckett finally tells Castle how she feels. Each chapter stands on its own. Enjoy!**_

**_Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own _Castle _or the characters from_ Castle_. _Castle _belongs to Andrew W. Marlowe and ABC._**

* * *

_**It Just Feels So Natural**_

She wanted to kiss him so bad. It was absolute torture not being able to show any romantic affection towards her boyfriend in the place where they spent every day working next to each other. They had just solved another tricky homicide when Beckett and Castle leaned in for a celebratory kiss in front of the murder-board, stopping themselves just in time. Beckett pulled back and peeked over at Gates' office. Luckily, the Captain was on a phone call and facing the other direction. Kate turned back to Castle.

"That cannot happen again," she frantically whispered.

"Right. Sorry about that," he returned in the same hushed tone. "It just seems so natural now."

Beckett sighed, ambled to her chair, and sat down. Castle automatically followed and took his customary seat next to her. "I know what you mean, Castle, but we have to keep our work lives separate from our personal ones. There's no way Captain Gates would allow us to continue working together if she found out."

There was a moment of silence between the two, with both of them contemplating what Beckett had just said, and wishing for a way to escape their predicament. It was Castle who eventually broke the quiet. "How do you know she wouldn't be fine with it? With us?"

His question surprised her. "I just… know."

"How can you know if you've never asked her?"

She took a deep breath. "Castle, I know this is hard, but it's just too risky to even ask her what she would do hypothetically. It's not worth both of us losing our jobs, or even worse, just you."

Castle smirked. "Kate, I don't work here," he said softly. "She can't fire me."

"No," she agreed with a light smile playing across her features. "But she could ban you from the precinct. And then we might actually solve cases in a timely manner without anyone messing things up." It was impossible to miss her sarcasm.

Castle scoffed, grinned, and leaned in closer to the detective, inches away from her face and looking her right in the eye. "Kate Beckett, you love me and you know it."

"Yes, Castle. Unfortunately for everyone else here at the 12th, I do love you."

Castle's jaw dropped as he stared at the woman he loved with disbelief. Had he heard her correctly?

Beckett noticed his expression change. "What? What is it? Please tell me I don't have something in my teeth." She rifled through her desk drawers, looking for a mirror while she held a hand in front of her mouth. "Oh God. I was interrogating suspects all afternoon; they probably couldn't even take me seriously!" She rambled on what Castle continued to gape at her. She didn't even realize what she had just confessed.

"You love me?" he asked tenderly. He just wanted to hear he say it again. He wanted to listen to Kate profess her love to him for the rest of their lives.

Beckett froze, and her eyes widened to the point where, if they grew any bigger, they would likely pop out of their sockets. "I- I…" What was the point in denying it? No, she hadn't meant to say it, but just like their almost-kiss earlier, it just felt so natural.

With a steadying breath, she repeated the words that felt so right. "Yes, Castle. I love you."

She had hardly gotten the words off her lips before she felt Castle's lips on her own. She wanted to push him back, to warn him that Gates (not to mention everyone else in the bullpen) would see, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

One of Castle's hands framed her face, while the other slid through her hair and down her neck. Kate, who was too stunned to do anything at first, eventually grabbed onto his collar and pulled him even closer. This was their moment, and she didn't care if she was unemployed come tomorrow. In that second, all she cared about was Castle. He loved her, and she loved him back. That was all she needed.

"Detective Beckett! Mr. Castle! In my office – NOW!" Shit. Beckett and Castle were instantly hurled back into reality and locked out of their flawless, fantasy-land by Iron Gates. They pulled away from each other enough to look around the bullpen. Everyone was staring. Most looked shocked, others smug like that had won a bet, and Ryan and Esposito had knowing smirks mixed with anxious glances in Gates' direction.

"This should be fun," muttered Castle. He stood and reached a hand out for Beckett. "Shall we?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN: Hey everybody! I really like this next story, mostly because it has a little bit of Michael Buble in it and he's my favorite singer. :) Thank you for reading! Leave a review or suggestion if you feel like it. They are greatly appreciated!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Castle **_**or the characters from **_**Castle**_**. **_**Castle**_** belongs to Andrew W. Marlowe and ABC.**_

* * *

_**I've Got You Under My Skin**_

It was Friday night, and Castle and Beckett were going to have a quiet dinner at her place. She had requested to be off the following day, knowing she wasn't going to get much sleep. Rick was waiting for her to say "I love you", and she wanted the evening she declared her love to be special. Not that it wasn't going to be memorable anyway. Kate couldn't remember the last time she had let a man pass the heavily guarded wall into her heart – if ever.

Currently, the two were speaking on the phone.

"I'm just saying, Kate," Castle said while trying to hold back his laughter, "The way you booked that librarian today was novel."

Kate groaned and rolled her eyes. "Ugh, that's pathetic, Castle. You're a writer and you can't even come up with anything better than 'booked' and 'novel'?"

"Hey, there's no handbook for making librarian puns. And it's not exactly a textbook skill."

Kate couldn't help but giggle at his lame attempt at making a pun. "Just stop now. Please. Before it gets any worse," she said through her smile.

"Yeah," he responded instantly, knowing he couldn't do any better than that. "So I'll see you in an hour?"

"Yeah, sounds good. You have your key, so if I'm busy in the kitchen, just come on in."

"Okay, see you soon."

"Yep. Love you." Realizing what she just said, she anxiously ended the call and threw her phone on the couch, as if it were poisonous. Kate really hoped Castle had hung up before her accidental declaration. She had a plan to slip it in during their conversation over dinner, but now it looked like that strategy was shattered. Expecting him to call back right away, Kate sat down on the couch by her discarded phone and carefully crafted an excuse. After ten minutes of silence, however, she resolved he must not have heard her. With a sigh of relief, she went to go take a quick shower before preparing the meal.

After putting on some Michael Bublé (who better to get you into a romantic mood?), Beckett stepped into the shower to wash off the dirt and grime from the city, along with whatever questionable substances she may have gotten on herself at the crime scene. Her mind eventually conjured up the image of Castle holding her hand on the drive to the library. It was the little things like that that made her love him even more.

As Michael's voice trailed off at the end of "Everything" and the music grew softer, Kate thought she could hear someone open the door to her apartment. Castle wasn't supposed to arrive for another 40 minutes. She opened the shower door and peeked her head out, only to be shoved right back in and pushed up against the opposite wall. Her gasp was muffled as Castle slid his tongue across her lips and pushed his body into hers.

"Rick," she breathed, as he kissed behind her ear and made his way down her neck while his hands roamed her slick body. It felt so amazing, she couldn't think straight. When she ran her hand through his hair and realized it was soaking wet, she finally came to her senses. "Castle," she said firmly, and lightly pushed him away.

He stood in front of her, fully clothed and completely drenched as the water continued to cascade over him. "You love me," he stated simply while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Castle! You do realize you just burst into my shower, right? With all of your clothes on."

"You love me," he repeated, ignoring her comment.

Kate sighed, folded her arms over her chest and looked at the floor. "So you did hear that, huh?" she said, shifting nervously.

"Hey," he whispered, and reached out to tilt her chin up so she would look at him. "What's wrong? I'm thrilled you said it."

"Nothing is wrong, I was just going to tell you in a more romantic setting is all," she shrugged.

Castle laughed. "Kate, I couldn't care less where or when you said it. All I care about is that you love me, and I love you." She smiled as he brought her closer to him and kissed her once more, completely forgetting the fact that he was standing in her shower with all of his clothes getting soaked. Their kiss wasn't a passionate one, but a kiss that conveyed their mutual affection.

"I love you, Rick Castle."

After a minute or two of sweet kisses and gentle touches, Castle pulled back and started singing with Michael Bublé, who was still playing in the background. "I've got you under my skin. I've got you deep in the heart of me," he sang dramatically while wiggling his eyebrows.

Kate laughed and stood up on her toes so she could whisper in Castle's ear. "I'd like you deep in-"

"Hey now!" Castle jumped as he felt her hand slide over the zipper of his jeans. "I think we should listen to Michael Bublé more often," he muttered as he cornered her against the wall and resumed the trail of kisses down her neck.


End file.
